Out with the Old, In with the New: Best Resources to Prepare for the New SAT

The time has finally come. The old SAT is officially a thing of the past, which means that all students going forward will be taking the new SAT. But not to worry—this doesn’t need to be a difficult transition. Luckily, there are tools and resources that are either free or affordable, so no matter your family’s income, you should be able to do just as well as anyone else if you put in the time and effort.

We have found that many of the existing tips, tools, and resources out there (especially those published before 2016) have either not been updated, or no longer apply to the new test. So we have put together a list of the best, most up-to-date links that will help you.

FIRST: Understand the changes.

SECOND: Learn general information about the new SAT.

THIRD: Practice using new quizzes and test that have been modeled after the new redesigned test.

Take advantage of each link below. The more you understand, learn, and practice, the higher your score on the new SAT will be. Happy studying!

Key College Board Links

The New SAT Home Page—This is a great place to start to learn more about the new SAT. Here you can register for the test, check scores, get tips, tools, and tests for the new SAT, and much more.

The New and Old SAT at a Glance—This chart compares subjects, test length, timing, scoring, and other important features of the SAT before and after the 2016 changes.

SAT Subject Test Home Page—Do you know about SAT subject tests? There are 20 tests apart from the SAT that cover 5 different subjects (English, History, Sciences, Math, and Languages), and you can use these to show colleges your strengths. Use this page to check out content breakdown, and understand how you can use the subject test to your advantage.

Free Study Guide—This is a free study guide provided by College Board that includes an in-depth analysis on each section of the new SAT.

SAT Prep and Tips

Kaplan Test Prep—This site contains video and charts that make the new SAT updates clearer than ever. Kaplan also offers many free test-prep resources, along with free online information sessions.

10 Ways the SAT Has Been Revamped—This article gives unique insights to the new SAT by focusing more on changes to the questions and sections, instead of the changes made to the test as a whole.

The Official SAT Study Guide—If you are looking for extra practice tests that contain real questions from the redesigned test pool, consider getting College Board’s new study guide.

SAT Practice Tests and Quizzes

Khan Academy—Khan Academy is now the official SAT practice site. They have been working with College Board to provide test-taking tips for the new test, interactive videos, and free, redesigned practice tests and quizzes.

Kaplan SAT —Kaplan’s free quizzes will give students a feel of what the new SAT will be like.

The Princeton Review Online Test—These free full-length practice tests are given under the same conditions as actual exams so students can easily target their strengths and weaknesses beforehand. The Princeton Review also offers free classes and seminars that are held both online and locally.

Literature Subject Test Practice—Study.com is an exellent resource for those looking to prepare for subject tests. The literature page alone has over 100 quizzes that are organized by topics needed for the test. Don’t need to take the literature test? Study.com also has pages dedicated to many of the other subject tests, including biology, physics, math, and US and world history.

Warning: Study.com’s SAT tests and quizzes (not to be confused with the subject tests and quizzes) have not been updated, so they might include irrelevant sections, subjects, and questions. Subject tests have not been redesigned, so those study.com quizzes are still relevant.